Royal Smit & Zoon will host a conversation about enabling positive change in the leather industry at the upcoming ‘Future trends in a post-Covid leather industry’ half-day conference at APLF Dubai on March 29, a hybrid event co-organised by ILM and APLF.

Florian Schrey, Account Director Brands & OEMs at Royal Smit & Zoon, will speak on the company’s belief in the power of the collective and why it is convinced that, together, the industry can form an alliance to endorse the image of leather, battle misinformation and really make an impact.

Schrey said: “We would like to exchange views on how an alliance could act to benefit all of us in the leather industry, and how we can ensure leather to be perceived as the innately sustainable material it is, by everyone in the leather value chain.”

About the speaker
Florian Schrey joined Royal Smit & Zoon as Account Director Brands & OEMs in January 2021, after 21 years working for GST Seton AutoLeather, now Pangea Made.

There, he built up the European Design Center for the Group and led design teams in all regions. He helped GST Seton grow its customer portfolio and be recognised as one of the leading leather suppliers in the industry.

In his new role, Schrey will work to build long term relationships with brands and OEMs in order to influence the buying behavior for leather products made with Royal Smit & Zoon technologies.

Get your ticket
‘Future trends in a post-Covid leather industry’ will be a half-day hybrid conference featuring a live in-person event at the Dubai World Trade Centre on March 29, the day before APLF Dubai begins. For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual conference will be available to view online and will be broadcast around the same time as the live event. It will not be a simultaneous live feed.

Head to the registration page to get your ticket today.

Presentation topics may include:

• New traceability and transparency methods in the leather supply chain
• The switch to bio-based chemicals and chemicals from renewable carbon sources
• The latest advances in biodegradable leather and leather product technologies
• Best practice in animal welfare and reducing the link to deforestation
• New advances to reduce the carbon footprint of leather
• Leather’s place in future fashion industry trends
• Transforming the image of leather and consumer attitudes to leather
• Advances in automation and AI in leathermaking.

The full speaker line-up and topics will be announced over the coming weeks and all presentations will be in English only.

When is the conference?
Date: Tuesday, March 29 (the day before the start of APLF Dubai)
Time: 12:30pm registration with a coffee/networking break and ending around 5:30pm
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre
Delegate fee: US$200 per person + VAT/booking fee* (*if applicable).
Click here to register to attend (live or online).

Who should attend?
The conference is aimed at anyone connected to the global leather supply chain, including tanners, brands/retailers, product manufacturers, OEMs, traders and consultants, trade associations, chemical and machinery/equipment suppliers and academia.